Multilayer gaming chip with a stripe pattern and management system identifying the chip based on infrared and visible light imaging

Abstract

A management system includes a recording device recording an image of a gaming chip and an inspection device determining a type and authenticity of the gaming chip. The gaming chip has a multilayer structure in which both sides of a colored layer are sandwiched between light color layers, surface printing representing a type of the gaming chip is performed on outer sides of the light color layers, and an authenticity recognition mark is printed on the colored layer of an inside of the light color layers by an infrared absorbing material. A visible light camera photographs a visible light image of the surface printing, and an infrared light camera photographs an infrared image of the internal printing. The inspection device determines the type and authenticity of the gaming chip using the visible light image and the infrared image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A management system of a table game using a game table, the management system comprising:
 a recording device; and 
 an inspection device; 
 wherein:
 the inspection device is configured to use a visual spectrum image and an infrared image of the recording device to determine a type and authenticity of a gaming chip that:
 (a) is represented in the images of the recording device; and 
 (b) has a multilayer structure of a plurality of laminated, thermocompression bonded plastic layers that:
 (1) form a stripe pattern on an exterior side face of the gaming chip; and 
 (2) include an outer layer, which is a representation plastic layer that has: 
  a representation of the type of the gaming chip printed on its outer side; and 
  an infrared absorbing material, forming an authenticity recognition mark, printed on at least one inner surface selected from surfaces of the thermocompression bonded plastic layers, the at least one inner surface not being visible from outside of the gaming chip, such that the authenticity recognition mark is not exposed to outside of the gaming chip; and 
 
 
 the recording device includes:
 a visible light spectrum camera that is configured to record and discriminate the representation of the type of the gaming chip printed on the outer side of the representation plastic layer, thereby producing the visual spectrum image; and 
 an infrared camera that is configured to record and discriminate the authenticity recognition mark formed by the printed infrared absorbing material by irradiating infrared rays from a side of the gaming chip on which the representation of the type of the gaming chip is printed, thereby producing the infrared image. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The management system of a table game according to  claim 1 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is printed by a transparent or translucent infrared absorbing material. 
     
     
       3. The management system of a table game according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the multilayer structure of the gaming chip includes a plurality of stripes that extend circumferentially on a circumferential exterior edge of the gaming chip and that are stacked on each other in a laminating direction from a bottom flat end face of the gaming chip to a top flat end face of the gaming chip, the stripes including:
 (1) a colored layer of a first color provided in the middle of the gaming chip with respect to the laminating direction; and 
 (2) other layers that are each of a lighter or different color than the first color and that are laminated on both sides of the colored layer of the first color, which is provided in the middle of the gaming chip; and 
 
 the inspection device is configured to identify the type of the gaming chip based on the colored layer of the first color as imaged in the visual spectrum image. 
 
     
     
       4. The management system of a table game according to  claim 3 , further comprising a database storing the authenticity recognition mark and the type of the gaming chip by associating the authenticity recognition mark and the type of the gaming chip with each other. 
     
     
       5. The management system of a table game according to  claim 4 , wherein the inspection device is configured to inspect whether the authenticity recognition mark and the type of the gaming chip specified at least by the colored layer of the first color are associated with each other in the database. 
     
     
       6. The management system of a table game according to  claim 1 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is a character or a pattern. 
     
     
       7. The management system of a table game according to  claim 1 , wherein a radio frequency (RF) tag storing RF tag information is embedded in the gaming chip. 
     
     
       8. The management system of a table game according to  claim 7 , further comprising: a database storing the authenticity recognition mark and the RF tag information by associating the authenticity recognition mark and the RF tag information with each other. 
     
     
       9. The management system of a table game according to  claim 8 , wherein the inspection device is configured to inspect whether the authenticity recognition mark and the RF tag information are associated with each other in the database. 
     
     
       10. A gaming chip comprising:
 a multilayer structure including a plurality of laminated, thermocompression bonded plastic layers that form a stripe pattern on an exterior side face of the gaming chip, wherein:
 an outer layer of the plurality of plastic layers is a representation plastic layer on an outer side of which a representation of the type of the gaming chip is printed, with an infrared absorbing material that forms an authenticity recognition mark printed on at least one inner surface selected from surfaces of the thermocompression bonded plastic layers, the at least one inner surface not being visible from outside of the gaming chip, such that the authenticity recognition mark is not exposed to outside of the gaming chip; and 
 the authenticity recognition mark can be irradiated by an infrared camera with infrared rays from a side of the gaming chip on which the representation of the type of the gaming chip is printed to thereby produce an infrared image recording and discriminating the authenticity recognition mark. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The gaming chip according to  claim 10 , wherein an association can be determined between the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip discriminated by irradiating the infrared rays and the printed representation of the type of the gaming chip as read by a visible light spectrum camera. 
     
     
       12. The gaming chip according to  claim 10 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is printed by a transparent or translucent infrared absorbing material. 
     
     
       13. The gaming chip according to  claim 12 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark is associated with the type of the gaming chip, which is specified at least by a colored layer of the multilayer structure, in a database. 
     
     
       14. The gaming chip according to  claim 10 , wherein the multilayer structure of the gaming chip includes a plurality of stripes that extend circumferentially on a circumferential exterior edge of the gaming chip and that are stacked on each other in a laminating direction from a bottom flat end face of the gaming chip to a top flat end face of the gaming chip, the stripes including:
 (1) a colored layer of a first color provided in the middle of the gaming chip with respect to the laminating direction; and 
 (2) other layers that are each of a lighter or different color than the first color and that are laminated on both sides of the colored layer of the first color, which is provided in the middle of the gaming chip. 
 
     
     
       15. The gaming chip according to  claim 14 , wherein an ID mark is provided on an outer circumferential surface of one of the other layers in ultraviolet UV ink or carbon black ink. 
     
     
       16. The gaming chip according to  claim 15 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark is associated with at least the ID mark in a database. 
     
     
       17. The gaming chip according to  claim 10 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is a character or a pattern. 
     
     
       18. The gaming chip according to  claim 10 , wherein a radio frequency (RF) tag storing RF tag information is embedded in the gaming chip. 
     
     
       19. The gaming chip according to  claim 18 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark is associated in a database with at least the RF tag information. 
     
     
       20. A management system of a table game using a table game, the management system comprising:
 a recording device; and 
 an inspection device; 
 wherein:
 the inspection device is configured to use a visual spectrum image and an infrared image of the recording device to determine a type and authenticity of a gaming chip (a) that is represented in the images of the recording device, (b) that has a stripe pattern on an exterior side face of the gaming chip formed by a plurality of layers of the gaming chip, and (c) on at least one surface of which a representation of the type of the gaming chip and an authenticity recognition mark are printed, the authenticity recognition mark being printed by an infrared absorbing material on a surface that is not visible from outside of the gaming chip, more inwardly within the gaming chip than the representation of the type of the gaming chip, such that the authenticity recognition mark is not exposed to outside of the gaming chip; 
 the recording device includes:
 a visible light spectrum camera that is configured to record and discriminate the representation of the type of the gaming chip printed on the gaming chip, thereby producing the visual spectrum image; and 
 an infrared camera that is configured to record and discriminate the authenticity recognition mark formed by the printed infrared absorbing material by irradiating infrared rays from a side of the gaming chip on which the representation of the type of the gaming chip is printed, thereby producing the infrared image. 
 
 
 
     
     
       21. The management system of a table game according to  claim 20 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is printed by a transparent or translucent infrared absorbing material. 
     
     
       22. The management system of a table game according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the plurality of layers of the gaming chip form a multilayer structure that includes a plurality of stripes that extend circumferentially on a circumferential exterior edge of the gaming chip and that are stacked on each other in a laminating direction from a bottom flat end face of the gaming chip to a top flat end face of the gaming chip, the stripes including:
 (1) a colored layer of a first color provided in the middle of the gaming chip with respect to the laminating direction; and 
 (2) other layers that are each of a lighter or different color than the first color and that are laminated on both sides of the colored layer of the first color, which is provided in the middle of the gaming chip; and 
 
 the inspection device is configured to identify the type of the gaming chip based on the colored layer of the first color as imaged in the visual spectrum image. 
 
     
     
       23. The management system of a table game according to  claim 22 , further comprising a database storing the authenticity recognition mark and the type of the gaming chip in association with each other. 
     
     
       24. The management system of a table game according to  claim 23 , wherein the inspection device is configured to inspect whether the authenticity recognition mark and the type of the gaming chip indicated by the first color of the colored layer are associated with each other in the database. 
     
     
       25. The management system of a table game according to  claim 20 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is a character or a pattern. 
     
     
       26. The management system of a table game according to  claim 20 , wherein a radio frequency (RF) tag storing RF tag information is embedded in the gaming chip. 
     
     
       27. The management system of a table game according to  claim 26 , further comprising a database storing the authenticity recognition mark and the RF tag information in association with each other. 
     
     
       28. The management system of a table game according to  claim 27 , wherein the inspection device is configured to inspect whether the authenticity recognition mark and the RF tag information are associated with each other in the database. 
     
     
       29. A gaming chip comprising:
 a stripe pattern on an exterior side face of the gaming chip formed by a plurality of layers of the gaming chip, wherein:
 a representation of a type of the gaming chip and an authenticity recognition mark are printed on at least one surface of the gaming chip, the authenticity recognition mark being printed by an infrared absorbing material on a surface that is not visible from outside of the gaming chip, more inwardly within the gaming chip than the representation of the type of the gaming chip such that the authenticity recognition mark is not exposed to outside of the gaming chip; and 
 the authenticity recognition mark can be irradiated by an infrared camera with infrared rays from a side of the gaming chip on which the representation of the type of the gaming chip is printed to thereby produce an infrared image recording and discriminating the authenticity recognition mark. 
 
 
     
     
       30. The gaming chip according to  claim 29 , wherein an association can be determined between the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip discriminated by irradiating the infrared rays and the printed representation of the type of the gaming chip as read by a visible light spectrum camera. 
     
     
       31. The gaming chip according to  claim 29 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is printed by a transparent or translucent infrared absorbing material. 
     
     
       32. The gaming chip according to  claim 31 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark is associated with the type of the gaming chip, which is specified at least by a colored layer of the stripe pattern, in a database. 
     
     
       33. The gaming chip according to  claim 29 , wherein the stripe pattern of the gaming chip includes a plurality of stripes that extend circumferentially on a circumferential exterior edge of the gaming chip and that are stacked on each other in a laminating direction from a bottom flat end face of the gaming chip to a top flat end face of the gaming chip, the stripes including:
 (1) a colored layer of a first color provided in the middle of the gaming chip with respect to the laminating direction; and 
 (2) other layers that are each of a lighter or different color than the first color and that are laminated on both sides of the colored layer of the first color, which is provided in the middle of the gaming chip. 
 
     
     
       34. The gaming chip according to  claim 33 , wherein an ID mark is provided on an outer circumferential surface of one of the other light color layers in ultraviolet UV ink or carbon black ink. 
     
     
       35. The gaming chip according to  claim 34 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark is associated with at least the ID mark in a database. 
     
     
       36. The gaming chip according to  claim 29 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark of the gaming chip is a character or a pattern. 
     
     
       37. The gaming chip according to  claim 29 , wherein a radio frequency (RF) tag storing RF tag information is embedded in the gaming chip. 
     
     
       38. The gaming chip according to  claim 37 , wherein the authenticity recognition mark is associated in a database with at least the RF tag information. 
     
     
       39. A gaming chip comprising:
 infrared absorbing material (a) printed internally within the gaming chip on a surface that is not visible from outside of the gaming chip, such that a mark formed by the infrared absorbing material is not exposed to outside of the gaming chip and (b) that, when irradiated by infrared rays, produces an infrared image; and 
 a stripe pattern on an exterior side face of the gaming chip formed by a plurality of layers of the gaming chip. 
 
     
     
       40. The gaming chip according to  claim 39 , further comprising surface printing on an outer surface of the gaming chip and that, when irradiated by visible light, produces a visible light image. 
     
     
       41. The gaming chip according to  claim 40 , wherein the infrared absorbing material is printed under the surface printing. 
     
     
       42. The gaming chip according to  claim 39 , wherein the infrared absorbing material is printed on a surface of one of the plurality of layers. 
     
     
       43. A management system of a table game using a gaming chip according to  claim 39 , comprising:
 an infrared camera, wherein the infrared camera is configured to generate infrared image by photographing an infrared structure indicated by the infrared absorbing material; and 
 an inspection device, wherein the inspection device is configured to determine of the gaming chip based on the infrared image. 
 
     
     
       44. The management system according to  claim 43 , further comprising a visible light camera, wherein the visible light camera is configured to generate a visible light image obtained by photographing a visible light structure of the gaming chip, wherein the inspection device is configured to determine the authenticity of the gaming chip based additionally on the visible light image. 
     
     
       45. The management system according to  claim 44 , wherein:
 the inspection device is configured to recognize contents of the visible light structure by performing image recognition on the visible light image, and recognize contents of the infrared structure by performing an image recognition on the infrared image; 
 the visible light structure is printed on an exterior surface of the gaming chip; and 
 the infrared structure is printed on an internal surface of the gaming chip. 
 
     
     
       46. The management system according to  claim 45 , wherein the inspection device is configured to determine that the gaming chip is a forgery when the recognized contents of the infrared structure do not correspond to the contents of the visible light structure.